India on Tuesday joined Russia and other countries in Afghanistan's neighbourhood in the Moscow Format Consultations to reject any attempt by a foreign power to deploy their military infrastructure in the war-ravaged country.

The development comes a fortnight after US President Donald Trump articulated the hope of getting back the Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.

A joint statement issued after the seventh edition of the Moscow Format said the 10 member states in the grouping urged the countries mainly responsible for the current predicament in Afghanistan to fulfil commitments on the economic recovery and future development of Afghanistan. "They called unacceptable the attempts by countries to deploy their military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighbouring states, since this does not serve the interests of regional peace and stability," the statement added.

The 10 countries in the grouping are Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. A delegation from Belarus attended the meeting as guests. India was represented by the ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar. Afghanistan was represented by acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is scheduled to arrive in India on Friday for the first formal engagement between New Delhi and the Taliban on Indian soil.

The Bagram airbase was built by the Soviet Union in the 1950s and went on to become the biggest US military base in Afghanistan before the Taliban recaptured Kabul in 2021.

Trump’s interest in the Bagram airbase suggests the possibility of a fresh American presence in the strategically located country. Trump himself has underscored the proximity of Bagram to the place where China makes its nuclear weapons.

The member states also reaffirmed support for the establishment of Afghanistan as an independent, united and peaceful state. "The parties noted the need for development of economic and trade exchanges, investment cooperation of Afghanistan with regional countries and the international community. They expressed their interest in developing regional economic projects with Afghan participation and promoting steady progress in such fields as healthcare, poverty alleviation, agriculture and disaster prevention, so as to help Afghanistan realise independent and sustainable development at an early date. They supported the active integration of Afghanistan into the system of regional connectivity," the statement said.